With 800 years of seafaring history to be proud of, this ambitious restoration project, jointly funded by Hull City Council and The National Lottery Heritage Fund, will show Hull in a new light. Not only restoring Hull’s five key maritime assets, the £30.2m project will have a positive effect for the whole city making it a more attractive and invigorating place to live and visit.

Closed since January 2020, the museum’s collection is now being packed and removed ahead of refurbishment. Upcoming milestones on the project include appointment of key contractors to carry out restoration on the two ships and refurbishment to the museum. Due to complete in 2024 subject to unforeseen circumstances, this major project will make Hull one of the country’s leading maritime destinations.

As well as contributing to education, skills development, jobs creation, apprenticeships, internships and extensive volunteering opportunities, the project’s key aims are to also:

• Increase visitor numbers and reach wider audiences
• Offer learning opportunities to schools
• Contribute to the local economy
• Offer large scale events

Nottingham-based Focus was appointed to provide NEC Project Management services for this complex and ambitious project, alongside general contractor procurement support and Project Management services for the decanting of the vast collection from the Maritime Museum. Not a usual restoration project, it will require careful treatment of the 50,000 artefacts (including transportation, storage, cleaning and conservation), management of multi-level and inter-dependant relationships with contractors and stakeholders, and careful planning regarding movement of the ships to their new homes.

“Focus is very pleased to be involved in helping the Council deliver this transformational project that builds on the success of Hull’s 2017 UK City of Culture” said Mike Lee, Associate Project Manager at Focus.

“Hull is steeped in maritime history and it’s in our DNA. It’s only right we preserve our maritime treasures, giving them a new lease of life and showcasing them and the many stories to the world for our residents and visitors alike.” Councillor Daren Hale, Leader of Hull City Council.

Project Details:

Maritime Museum:

Originally Hull’s Dock Offices, the Grade 2* Listed building became a museum in 1975 and is still a popular destination today with record numbers recorded during UK City of Culture 2017. The restoration project will provide the city with the world-class museum that it deserves through; external/ internal conservation works, internal structural alterations, improved visitor access, rooftop access enabling visitors to enjoy panoramic views of the city and an improved learning and events programme.

Dock Office Chambers:

Currently used as office space, external/ internal conservation works together with a full refurbishment will convert the space into a Collections and Artefacts store with facilities to undertake research and conservation works that are crucial to improving the exhibitions and public displays within the museum, enabling the nationally significant collections to be preserved for generations to come.

North End Shipyard, Dock Office Row:

Running parallel to the river, this is one of Hull’s oldest streets and is at the heart of the city’s maritime heritage with 400 years of shipbuilding history. The area will be transformed with the construction of a new Maritime Visitor Centre which meets Passivhaus standards plus landscaping and civils works to the dock to allow for the permanent dry-berth for the Arctic Corsair – Hull’s very own “Cutty Sark” representing what was once a major industry and a symbol of the many lives lost at sea during Hull’s active fishing era. A historic 20^th century Scotch Derrick Crane, a symbol of recent maritime history, will be taken down, carefully conserved and re-erected on site.

Queen’s Gardens:

The gardens and surrounding highways are an important geographical link between the Maritime Museum and the North End Shipyard and provide a green space within the City Centre. Designed by Sir Fredrick Gibberd, the Gardens are a popular area but many visitors are unaware that they are walking in what was once the largest dock in British Isles. The redevelopment will show the position of the original south dock walls and a maritime heritage trail will use interpretation and public art to tell the stories of those who earnt their living in this thriving port. The redevelopment will add new terraced steps, improve access, lighting and landscaping – all of which will drastically improve the visitor experience.

Focus is a multi-disciplinary company offering a range of services across different sectors, with offices in London, Nottingham and Leicester. Focus divides its services into three sections – Create, Deliver and Assess – and offers funding, business planning and economic development through the Create division, and quantity surveying, project management and building surveying through the Deliver department. The firm’s Assess team advises on sustainable buildings, building physics, compliance and planning, and on-site testing.

To find out more about the project and to keep up to date with its progress please visit https://maritimehull.co.uk/